Grille guard



Aug. 31, 1954 T. R. BEAUCHAMP 2,687,912

GRILLE GUARD Filed Jan. 15, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 mos.

ta s-21 INVENTOR.

THQMAS RBEAUCHAMP ATTORNEYS Aug 31, 1954 T. R. BEAUCHAMP 2,687,912

GRILLE GUARD Filed Jan. 15, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIB.

INVENTOR.

THOMAS R BEAUGHAMP ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 31, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRILLE GUARD Thomas R. Beauchamp, Detroit, Mich.

Application January 15, 1949, Serial No. 71,053

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to grille guards for automotive vehicles and more specifically to an improvement of the type of guard shown in U. S. Pat. No. 2,281,215, issued April 28, 1942.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of means to greatly strengthen the guard against certain types of impacts.

Another object is to increase such strengthening without a material increase in the cost of production.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of a guard embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 i an exploded view of the parts embodying the invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modification.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of another modification.

Fig. 7 is a, view similar to Fig. 1, but of a modification.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the slip joint of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a similar section of an alternate form of the latter.

In the drawings, a guard of the type shown in the patent referred to i illustrated. This consists of a tubular member In fixed in suitable fashion as by means of a saddle clamp II to the conventional bumper shown in cross section at I2. The member I extends from some distance, approximately a foot, above the bumper I2 vertically downward to below the latter, and is curved as shown at I3, and then extends backward of the vehicle a short distance in a horizontal direction, being flattened for several inches at its end as shown at I4.

This flattened end I4 is spaced from but substantially on a level with the bottom face of a body frame member I and to the latter is clamped a flat spring arm I6 which extends forward and slidingly fits into the flat end portion I4, extending thereinto a short distance when the parts are inactive.

The description thus far is of the patented construction.

In the use of this construction, impacts on the guard at or below bumper level or at a point only a short distance above bumper level, result merely in flexing the spring bumper and causing the spring arm I6 to slide in the end I4. However, impacts on the guard at points above the bumper, as the upper portion of the member I0 is moved back, the result being that the lower portion, including end I4, moves forward and decreases the overlap of end I4 and arm I6 so that the supporting function of the latter decreases. In extreme cases, the end I4 may be pulled all of the way from the arm I6.

The present invention is designed to overcome this difficulty by maintaining the supporting action of arm I6 at all times and preventing the disconnection of the arm and guard.

The change in structure is shown in Figs. 1 to 4 to consist in providing a slot 20 in the under portion of the end I4 and in punching out a tongue 2| in arm I6 so that the free end of the tongue contacts the rear end of the slot whenever an impact tends to separate the arm from the guard.

The tongue and slot should be so proportioned and arranged that the inward movement of tongue will not be affected. Instead of the tongue 2I coacting with slot 20, similar results may be obtained by the use of a suitable stud or bolt fixed in the end portion of arm I6.

Such construction is shown in Fig. 5. In this construction, through the end portion of arm I 6A and slot 20 in end I4 is a short bolt 25, a suitable washer 26, nut 21 and cotter pin 28 being used if desired.

In order to enable the assembly of the form shown in Fig. 5, a suitable slot may be provided in the upper wall of the end I4.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modification which is an alternative to that of Fig. 5. In Fig. 6 the slot 20A is in the bar IBB, while the bolt 25 passes through a suitable opening in the end portion HA. The bolt 25 may of course be provided with a nut 21 and cotter pin 28.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. '7 and 8, the tubular member 40 is similar to element I0, except that its rearwardly extending portion is not flattened. It is mounted on bumper I2 by the same means as has been described.

Further, instead of the flat spring member I6, a tubular member M is used, the front end being telescoped into member 40 and the rear end being flattened as at MA to facilitate attachment to frame member I5.

In that portion of member 4I telescoped into member 40, slots 42 are provided and through these and through suitable openings in member 40 is passed a bolt 43 serving to limit the relative movement of the two parts.

Fig. 9 shows an alternative construction in that in this form the slots I42 are in the member I40 corresponding to members III and 40, while 3 the member MI corresponds to member 4| and carries the bolt 43.

I claim:

1. In a grille guard for a motor vehicle provided with a bumper and with an impact receiving member fixed to said bumper and extending from above to below the latter, the portion below the bumper being bent backward of the vehicle and substantially horizontal, and with a spring armfixed to ther'vehicle'bodyand telescoping slidingly into said horizontal portion, means for limiting relative movement of said arm and said horizontal portion, said means consisting of coacting abutments carried by said arm and portion and adapted to contact and thereby limit such outward movement;

2. In a grille guard for a motor vehicle pro.- vided with a bumper and withan impact re-' ceiving member fixed to said bumper and extend+ ing from above to below the latter, the portion below... the bumper being a bent backward of the vehicle and substantially horizontal, .and with .1

a spring. .armfixed to the vehicle body and .tele-.

scopinglslidingly into said horizontal portion,

means for limiting relative movement of said arm 25 4 and said horizontal portion, said means consisting of a slot in the said horizontal portion and a fixed abutment carried by said arm and extending into said slot.

3. In a grille guard for a motor vehicle provided with a bumper and with an impact receiving member fixed to said bumper and extending from above to below the latter, the portion below the bumper being bent backward of the vehicle and substantially horizontal; and with a spring arm fixed-to the vehicle body=and-'teles'coping slidingly into said horizontal portion, means limiting relative sliding movement of said arm and horizontal portion, said means consisting of a bolt carried by one of these elements and movable in aisuitable'slotin the other of said elements.

fieferenceycit'edin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

